A convicted child molester suspected of downloading stories about sex with babies at a Redondo Beach library was sentenced Tuesday to 25 years to life for failing to register as a sex offender.

Wynford Murray, 35, was convicted of the charge April 17 after a nonjury trial before Judge Mark Arnold in Torrance Superior Court.

In sentencing Murray, who was convicted 12 years ago in New York for sexually molesting two girls, ages 3 and 5, Arnold said he could find no justification for going outside California’s three-strikes law and giving Murray a lesser sentence.

Arnold said he took into account Murray’s history as well as the fact that he lied on the witness stand when he stated he didn’t realize he had to register as a sex offender in California.

Murray’s prior convictions were for forcing the girls to orally copulate him. In addition, 25 pages of stories found in Murray’s backpack explicitly detailed sex with babies and young girls.

Calling the stories “perverted” is an understatement, Arnold said.

“What he did to those girls I don’t even have the words for it,” Arnold said. “It reeks of a lack of compassion and a lack of concern for the humanity of the most innocent people we have in society.”

Deputy District Attorney Ann Lee said the evidence showed that Murray knew he had to register, but didn’t.

During the trial, a letter he wrote to a former girlfriend was presented as evidence. In it, he said he did not register because he wanted to escape his past.

Deputy Alternate Public Defender Ernestine Odom said the sentence of 25 years to life was “grossly disproportionate” to the crime.

Murray’s former girlfriend reported him to the police after finding the stories and pornographic pictures of minors in his backpack. They were both transients who lived in Redondo Beach.

Murray was arrested in August in Long Beach on a warrant from Redondo Beach, but Los Angeles police officers were looking for him, too.

A Canoga Park resident reported Murray lived in her house in exchange for chores, but she kicked him out in December 2007 after finding him printing pornography on her computer. She also found pictures of children and a sex offender registration form from Virginia in his room.

During the investigation, it was discovered Murray had been convicted in 1997 for the child molestations and was required to register as a sex offender after serving six months in jail.

However, he did not. He moved from New York to Virginia, where he was arrested and convicted in 2006 for failing to register. At that sentencing hearing, transcripts show the judge specifically told him he would have to check with law enforcement in whatever state he went to, Lee said.

Once again, Murray left the state instead of registering, eventually ending up in California, where he failed to register again.

Under Megan’s Law, sex offenders must register their current address with local police every year within five days of their birthday or every time they move.

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